EtherCAT: Ethernet for Control Automation

EtherCAT is an high performance open protocol for industrial use, based on Ethernet 100Mbaud. Fundamental features of  this new bus technology are: utilization of real time Ethernet protocol, flexible topology, easy to be  configured, cheaper than others in many applications. Unlike most of other buses, EtherCAT protocol  permits updating and adding of data during telegram transfer through the slaves, without any buffer operation. The performance of Ethercat is depicted by some values: 10000 digital I/O in 300 µSec, or 200 Analog I/O words in 50 µs, or 100 Axes (8 bytes) in 100µs. Lots of benefit about this new application encouraged many companies to build  the EtherCAT Tecnology Group (ETG) in 2003; the variety of sectors in which ETG members are involved, ensures full development of EtherCAT products for many fields of application. Since 2005 (when Ma.Vi. became ETG member) Ma.Vi. developed both slaves and master devices, and continues to takes part in research and improvement about EtherCAT new products. In some cases Ma.Vi.‘s customers ask to build new custom products able to communicate through EtherCAT technology: Ma.Vi. behaves like “remote development office” for some of its greater customers, following the evolution of their needs and supporting them from analisys and requirements, up to production.